A screed is typically towed behind an asphalt paving machine in order to establish the thickness, and to some extent the density, of a layer or mat of asphalt paving material which has been applied to a base surface to produce a roadway or parking lot. Some screeds provide a screed extension which allows the screed to cover a wider area. Some screed extensions are adapted to be sloped which creates a sloped edge on the asphalt to provide a safer driving surface. Conventional screed extensions that are adapted to be sloped suffer from one or more limitations. For example, the pivot points of conventional screed extensions adapted to be sloped are mechanically located on the main screed above the main screed contact surface. Thus, the point of intersection between the main screed and the screed extension moves along the length of the main screed when the angle of the slope of the screed extension is adjusted. This mechanical limitation causes conventional screed extensions to be limited in their ability to meet certain road specifications accurately. In addition, changing the slope of conventional screed extensions is both time-consuming and labor-intensive and exposes users to hazards.
It would be desirable, therefore, if an apparatus and method for a screed extension control system could be provided that would be adapted to adjust the slope of the screed extension without moving the pivot point where the contacting surface of the main screed and the contacting surface of the screed extension intersect, i.e. the virtual pivot point location, along the length of the main screed. It would be further desirable if an apparatus and a method for a screed extension control system could be provided that would be adapted to meet a broader range of road specifications accurately. It would also be desirable if an apparatus and method for a screed extension control system could be provided that would be adapted to be less time-consuming, labor-intensive, and hazardous to the user.